Milking box with robotic attacher and vision system

• US 9,258,975 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corporation (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corporation (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hofman, Henk, de Ruijter, Cor, Koekoek, Menno, van der Sluis, Peter Willem
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fabula, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/448,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20120272914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 119/14.01, 119/14.08, 119/14.18, 119/651, 119/670
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/00 Milking machines or devices A01J1/00, A01J3/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/007 Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/0175 Attaching of clusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 7/02 for cleaning or sanitising milking machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/12 Milking stations
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

A system includes a robotic attacher comprising a main arm and a supplemental arm operable to extend into a stall portion of a milking box. A camera couples to the supplemental arm. The supplemental arm comprises a camera-facing nozzle operable to spray the camera with a cleanser.

Claims

1. A milking system, comprising:

a robotic attacher comprising;

a main arm; and

a supplemental arm, the supplemental arm operable to extend into a stall portion of a milking box;

a camera coupled to the supplemental arm; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the robotic attacher and the camera, wherein the controller is programmed to;

receive an image from the camera;

determine where to move the robotic attacher based at least upon the image and a first calibration, the first calibration based at least upon a distance between the camera and a fixed calibration point located on the robotic attacher;

wherein the supplemental arm further comprises a camera-facing nozzle operable to spray the camera with a cleanser.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a two-dimensional camera coupled to a gripping portion of the supplemental arm.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a protective layer in front of a lens of the camera and the camera-facing nozzle sprays the cleanser on the protective layer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to communicates a signal instructing the camera-facing nozzle to spray the camera with cleanser.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is programmed to communicates the signal in response to determining that a milking cycle has been completed.

6. A milking system, comprising:

a robotic attacher comprising;

a main arm;

a supplemental arm that extends along a longitudinal axis; and

a gripping portion that extends from the supplemental arm along the longitudinal axis;

a two-dimensional camera coupled to and positioned on the gripping portion of the robotic attacher at a fixed location along the longitudinal axis;

a three-dimensional camera coupled to the supplemental arm of the robotic attacher at a second fixed location along the longitudinal axis; and

a controller that is programmed to;

receive a two-dimensional image from the two-dimensional camera;

receive a three-dimensional image from the three-dimensional camera;

determine where to move the gripping portion based at least in part upon;

the two-dimensional image and a first calibration, the first calibration based at least in part upon a distance between the two-dimensional camera and a fixed calibration point located on the robotic attacher; and

the three-dimensional image and a second calibration, the second calibration based at least in part upon a distance between the three-dimensional camera and a second fixed calibration point located on the robotic attacher;

and

communicate one or more signals instructing the robotic attacher where to move the gripping portion.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the two-dimensional camera includes a transmitter operable to transmit a two-dimensional signal at a fixed angle and a lens operable to receive a reflection of the two-dimensional signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein when the gripping portion is positioned in an upright orientation, the fixed angle comprises an upward angle between 5 and 35 degrees relative to an x-axis of the gripping portion.